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Diamond Dust

Diamond Dust, the Fifth Division newspaper, has been revived and is again a reality. Publication had to be suspended for a time on account of the reduced strength of the division, but now that it is up to peace strength the paper is able to resume publication. It is a bright, 12 to 16 page paper, brimful of the doings, and the comings and goings of the division.

We congratulate the management on the high standard of the sheet and we predict a bright future for it.

In Russia's present anxiety for general commerce Lenin would be justified in discharging the publicity man who sent out that item about running

the entire soviet business without the use of money.

The "One Army" Spirit

Progress in National Guard matters depends upon progress in the problem of National Defense as a whole. To promote true progress all officers of the Army of the United States should cultivate the "One Army" spirit, and should habitually think more in terms of the Nation and less in those of the locality, the State or branch of service, whether they belong to Regular Army, National Guard or Reserves. We should all forget our relatively few past differences and on every proper occasion should propagate the truth that the military obligations of the citizen contemplated by the founders of the Government and definitely embodied in the Constitution can only be efficiently met by service of a much larger number of citizens than ever before in units of a properly organized Army of the United States and that

suitable universal military training at the proper age of all citizens is the only "square deal," and the only firm foundation on which to build the National Defense. Bearing in mind the present world ferment, and that we have no assurance of immunity from future. wars, the necessity for better national education in true preparedness should be the mot d'ordre of all good citizens.

We should insist that our best in-. surance against future war-our best assurance of success, should war come -our only protection against the repetition of the wastefulness of all our past wars-our continued existence as tions-possibly our future existence as a worthy member of the family of Naa Nation-lies in "preparedness" properly conceived and carried out. The development of the National Guard will be promoted, and the National Guard. will successfully play, in conjunction with the other elements named, the important rôle assigned it in the National Defense, in a degree largely corresponding with the progress of the education of all citizens (and especially our young men) along the patriotic lines above indicated.

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them. It is the intention of the War Department to provide at least one graduate for each battalion and company. It is estimated that when the plan is in full operation that there will be some 300 officers taking these special courses annually.

The whole question resolves itself into one of accommodations. If the If the Congress will provide the necessary funds at the persent session for the completion of the Infantry School the courses can probably start next fall. If there is delay in this matter there will be a corresponding delay in getting the courses under way.

The courses will be along the lines of the present three months' course provided for the officers of the National Guard and it is contemplated that an additional month's course will be provided for those selected for special training.

The plan opens up great possibilities for the Reserves and National Guard and assures a corps of trained officers in those elements of the national defense.

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Nomenclature, care and use of rifle Rifle marksmanship Auto-rifle marksmanship

Pistol marksman

ship Estimating distance Musketry

Bayonet, and Handto-hand Fighting

Gas

Petrograd is now inhabited by crip- Grenades, hand

ples; at least the population has been reduced 71 per cent and it is assumed that everybody who could walk left.— St. Paul News.

Proficiency Record of Soldier

For some years I have been trying to devise a practicable method for recording the proficiency of enlisted men in items of required instruction.

Grenades, rifle

Patrolling Advance guard Flank guard Rear guard March outpost Outpost duty

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Field Training (Open warfare)

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Night movements

Field Training

(Position warfare)

Trench routine Trench sanitation

There is presented herewith a blank Field fortification for that purpose which may serve not only to save time ordinarily lost in repetition and as a record for the convenience of the company commander,

Reliefs, preparation

for Reliefs, operation of

Offense Raids

Preparation for attack

Organization of new

Defense

positions

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If the soldier is found qualified, the testing officer will enter the date, followed by his signature, on the appropriate line, an entry being made for each subdivision, but not for the heading as a whole.

The rating will be the result of the testing officer's personal observation only. See following headings:

(a) Enter name and Serial No. only. (b) When the soldier has participated in a maneuver where more than a regiment was engaged, the largest unit so engaged will be specified.

(c) These tests should, if practicable, take the form of competitions.

(d) Testing officers will not rate rifle, auto-rifle or pistol marksmanship;

but the actual qualification obtained in record practice will be entered in the space for signature. In case the soldier fails to qualify, no entry will be made.

(g) The headings under "Specialist" will be used primarily to rate soldiers serving in other than rifle companies, but every soldier will be encouraged and aided to add some of these to his other attainments. Blank lines are left for further headings, such as farrier, blacksmith, tailor, barber, drummer, etc.; but such additions will be confined to specialties necessary to the functioning of combat units. Testing officers may request advice or assistance in rating specialties.

This form will be given to the soldier upon his discharge.

CHARLES GERHARDT,
Colonel 36th Infantry.

Soviet sympathizers who say Russia has a right to choose her own form of government are not willing to admit that the people of the United States have the same right.-Boston Shoe and Leather Reporter.

New York State Bonus

The following information relative to the distribution of the New York State Bonus to the soldiers of the World War from that State is published for the information of our readers:

STATE OF NEW YORK

Office of the Attorney-General,

Albany, November 6, 1920. Anticipating many inquiries from soldiers with respect to the bonus provided for by chapter 872 of the Laws of 1920 (New York), which became effective on November 2, 1920, when it was ratified by the people at the general election. I have prepared the following statement of information, hoping it will answer most of the questions:

The law (chapter 872 of the Laws of 1920) does not provide any machinery for the distribution of the bonus. The legislature seems to have considered it advisable not to provide for all the details until it was sure of the money, and the people had to be consulted, under the constitution before the money could be raised.

Now that the statute is effective the comptroller may proceed to issue and sell bonds. But until the next legislature meets the money cannot be paid Section 3 of the act specifically states that the moneys shall be distributed by a commission created by the legislature for the purpose. The commission has not yet been created. Its creation will undoubtedly be one of the first acts of the legislature of 1921.

The bonus will be payable on application to the commission. The time limit for applications will be fixed by the legislature.

Qualifications necessary to entitle a person to the bonus are as follows:

(1) It is payable to both men and

women.

(2) The applicant must have been enlisted, inducted, warranted, or commissioned in the military or naval service of the United States.

(3) The applicant must have served honorably in active duty at some time between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.

(4) Such active service must have been for a period of more than two months.

(5) The applicant must have been a resident of the State of New York when he entered the service, and must have been a resident of the State of New York on November 2, 1920.

(6) The applicant must have been honorably separated or discharged from the military service, or be still in the service (active, reserve or retired).

Officers above the grade of captain in the army or marine corps and officers above the grade of lieutenant, senior grade, in the navy, are not entitled to the bonus, nor are men whose only serv

ice was in the Students' Training Corps.

The amount of the bonus payable to each person entitled is $10 for each month or major fraction of active service, but not more than $250 altogether.

No bonus will be paid to a person who has received a bonus from another State.

If a person entitled to a bonus has died, the bonus is payable to surviving relatives in the following order: Husband or wife, child, mother, father, brother, sister. If none of these survive, more distant relatives do not become entitled to the bonus.

Soldiers are advised that no State officer has power to make payments at present, and nothing can be gained by sending applications to any State officer until the legislature meets. When provision is made for a distributing commission it will commission it will undoubtedly give public notice of the proper method of making applications.

CHARLES D. NEWTON,
Attorney-General.

A headline reads, "Rabbit Kills Three Cats." We wonder who had the Hootch -the rabbit or the editor?

Flaunting Japan

Citizens of Harlingen, Tex., were at the railroad station to meet a train bringing in two Japanese families from the west intending to settle on farm lands. The Japanese were told that their presence was undesirable and that, while they might remain overnight, they would be expected to depart within twenty-four hours.

The dispatch said that the citizens did not make any threats, but the incident has the significance of a forerunner of bad news. When all conditions are prepared for a war, such incidents may precipitate it. The comparative triviality is the spark.

This particular incident probably will come to nothing, but it proves the development of temper in the United States. We believe that the one consideration which is holding back Japan now is the fact that the United States, and not Japan, has the second navy. The fact that we are in Japan's way, the fact that we obstruct her development, that we are in Asia, from which she is ejecting whites, and the fact that in the United States we officially discriminate against her citizens and that our citizens individually flaunt them, these facts are causes of war.

They will not cause a war which Japan cannot win. If they cause one, it will be one Japan thinks she can win. Until that time comes when Japan thinks she can win, Japan will use diplomatic remonstrance. When it does come she will use guns.

These are facts that even a careless

'Tis "The Star Spangled Banner" they're trying to sing,

But they don't know the words of the precious, brave thing.

Hark, "the twilight's last gleaming" has some of them stopped,

But the valiant survivors press forward serenely

To "the ramparts we watched" when some others are dropped,

And the loss of the leaders is manifest keenly,

Then "the rockets' red glare" gives the bravest a scare,

And there's few left to face "the bombs bursting in air."

'Tis a thin line of heroes that manage

to save

The last of the verse and "the home of the brave."

-Current Opinion.

If that Illinois woman had starved

people may learn if they will.-Chicago her husband instead of herself she may

Tribune.

When it gets cheaper to buy winter clothing than it does to spend the season in the Southland more of us will stay at home.

All Stand and Sing

Oh, say can you sing from the start to the end

When so proudly you stand for when

orchestras play it?

When the whole congregation, in voices that blend,

Strike up the grand tune and then torture and slay it.

How valiant they shout when they're first starting out,

But "the dawn's early light" finds them floundering about;

have had a chance to convert him.

Contributions for the Infantry Team

The following contributions for the Infantry Team fund are acknowledged:

Maj. E. E. Lewis, Inf...... ..$1.00
Lieut. Col. W. H. Waldron, Inf.
Colonel Wolf, 9th Inf...
Major Culberson, 9th Inf.
Major Stoll, 9th Inf...
Major Harris, 9th Inf...
Major Wilson, 9th Inf..
Captain Cooke, 9th Inf....
Captain Finlayson, 9th Inf..
Captain Freeborn, 9th Inf...
Captain Foley, 9th Inf..
Capt. Harvey, L. I., 9th Inf....
Capt. Harvey, J. J., 9th Inf..
Captain Smith, 9th_Inf...
Captain Tripp, 9th Inf....
1st Lt. Anderson, 9th Inf....
1st Lt. Brown, 9th Inf.
1st Lt. Cain, 9th Inf...

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